Dubai Culture delegation took a cultural tour to Seoul, Republic of Korea

A delegation from Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the dedicated authority for culture, arts, heritage and literature, embarked on a 5-day cultural tour of Seoul, the capital of South Korea.  The delegation met the UAE Ambassador to Korea, HE Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, and Counsellor, Ms Rehab Al Mansoori, who accompanied the delegation throughout their visit. 

The delegation also met senior representatives from many of the capital’s cultural entities, including the Cultural Policy Department within the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, to share its flagship art initiatives and programmes for 2020. They also discussed potential opportunities for cultural and creative collaborations, which would support the Authority’s renewed cultural vision to establish Dubai as a global centre for art and culture, position the city as an incubator for creativity and ensure that the Emirate remains a thriving hub for talent.

Dubai Culture's delegation also explored Seoul’s vibrant arts scene including the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art, which houses classic and contemporary Korean and international art, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Daelim Museum,  the iconic Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) that was designed by Zaha Hadid, and the Seoul Street Arts Creation Centre, Korea’s first creative base for performing arts, created by remodeling a former water supply station in 2015. 

Having been appointed as a UNESCO City of Design in 2010, Dubai and Seoul share a proactive approach to integrating art and design into their respective communities with a dynamic public art policy and array of design-led initiatives. As Dubai strengthens its position on the global design map among its creative peers, so has Seoul, with its ambitious design initiatives  across the Capital.

With a keen interest in building relations with design and innovation institutions and universities, the delegation concluded its tour by meeting with senior faculty at Hongik University to discuss potential educational exchange programmes and mutual participation at art and design events in the coming year.  

Under a similar mandate as Dubai Culture, South Korea’s government has taken impressive measures towards supporting and growing the arts and cultural sector, encouraging innovation and actively fueling the growth of its design sector and creative ecosystem.